Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-11-26

casks and skins. From three to eight
mules draw the carts, and from three to
five poems go with each cart to assist in
the delivery of the famous pulque. Very
often the carts are decorated with boughs
and streamers, while the mules have
numerous little bells attached to their
harness, besides being profusely deco
rated with flowers and gay ribbons.
The collection of the juice is a work of
great care. Every morning the Span
ish pulque collectors start out with their
6urrOs and pig-skin or goat-skin and
their gourds. Each has his portion of
the field. He goes to the plant, picks
his way in between the long leaves and
reaching down with the cup drains it of
the juice which has gathered since his
last visit. There is a peculiar feature
about this part of the pulque business
which one who has witnessed for the first
time is sure to remember the next occa-
sion he raises goblet of the Mexican
nectarine to his lips. The collector puts
his long gourd into the cup and draws
the contents by the principle of the air
pump; the gourd is the receiver, the
exhaust is the one formed by the peon's
mouth and lungs; in other words, he
slowly sucks the juice into the gourd.
ciated with the thought of drinking the
liquid afterward.
When the poem has filled the gourd he
goes to the 6urr0 nearby and empties the
gourd into the skins, which are slung
upon the animals back. These skins are
a source of wonder to the stranger.
Their preparation from the hog or goat
is purely Mexican. The skins are soft and
I'll 1,l.
they dstend in the bloated form
legs and neck are tied with strong
strings, and full-grown skin will hold
several gallons of pulque. One may
search in vain for any seam. But how was
the skin taken off the animals That is
the mystery not a bristle or hair is left
When leg or the neck of the skin is
united the pulque pours forth Once
emptied, the skin collapses like fish
bladder, but it does not dry and is always
ready for use.
The outside of the skin is not only
suggestive, but it is usually very dirty
yet the pulque comes from it as pure and
clear as when it was drawn from the
plant. Familiarity breeds indifference to
the looks of the skin, and the use of the
receptacle is not confined to the planta-
tions. Pulque is shipped to the city in
these skins, for carrying which there are
open cars. The skins are also hung
upon open frames, and from little dis
lance one would imagine the cars
were loaded with dressed hogs
ready for market, the similarity
is so striking. Much of the
national drink is delivered in these skins,
which are to be seen hanging up around
the doors or hung up inside the pulque
shops, and the great surprise to an Amer
lean is when he starts out for stroll,
soon after his arrival in the great city,
and meets in the main entrance of his
hotel a poem with one of these distended
skins, containing the days supply of
pulque for the house. Very likely the peO,a
will have one leg over his shoulder, the
other three legs sticking out in as many
directions, presenting a rather disgust
ing spectacle.
The pulqueria, or pulque shop, is one
of the institutions of the country. 1t is
more frequently found than the beer
saloon is in New York, and there is no
eXaggeraton in saying that every block
in the City of Mexico has one place where
the beverage is to be had. The shops are
also highly decorated by flash paintings,